Hollywood is cashing in on Broadway classics. What’s not to love about the latest movie adaptation of Les Miserables? The true-to-history set and graphics, amazing camera angles and realistic portrayals of people only add to the grittiness realness of this film. Sure, it’s a musical but you still feel as if you’ve gone back in time and are witnessing the French Revolution in real time. The all-star cast includes Anne Hathway (The Princess Diaries, Rachel Getting Married, The Dark Knight Rises), Hugh Jackman (X-Men, Reel Steel), Amanada Seyfried (In Time, Mama Mia!, Red Riding Hood) and Russell Crowe (Gladiator, American Gangster). Then the film has the lovely newcomer Samantha Barks.
Samantha brings vulnerability, strength and passion to the role of Eponine. You can hear it as she sings “On My Own” while walking in the rain. There’s no doubt that Les Mis is a tear-jerker. In this song, Samantha accurately captures Eponine’s resignation to the fact that the man she loves prefers another woman. I felt her anguish and saw it on her face. Check out the trailer here. What do you think? Do you think she nails it?